The purpose of the “Brightening the World” coloring contest was to introduce the concept of Earth Day and how waste management plays a major role in the health and safety of communities throughout the U.S. and even the world. Now, more than ever, the concept of being clean & green is at the forefront of society as our essential workers, including environmental services workers, keep our communities safe by removing potentially harmful COVID-19 contaminated waste.

Entrants downloaded the coloring sheets from the Meridian Waste website and were free to create their art with any non-electronic medium.

The contest was open to all children categories across the country within the age categories, and it was not a requirement to be a customer of Meridian Waste. Entries came in from four states: Missouri, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

In the age category of 5-7, the winner is Jasoda Miles of Jacksonville, Fla., and in the age category of 7-10, the winner is Neora Varghese, of St. Johns, Fla.

“The imagination and fearless use of color and creativity by children never ceases to amaze me,” stated Wally Hall, CEO of Meridian Waste. “The selection process was fun, but certainly not easy, and I am pleased to announce the winners of Meridian Waste’s inaugural Earth Day Coloring Contest: Congratulations to Jasoda and Neora, we’re so happy that you participated in and enjoyed the contest, and we hope you practice Earth Day Every Day!”

These efforts reinforce Meridian Waste’s commitment to a clean and green community by proving the simple joy of children coloring while utilizing technology to save paper and postage with the electronic download of the coloring sheets and the upload of the artist’s submission.

Image 1 - Artwork from Jasoda Miles, age category 5-7

Image 2 - Artwork from Neora Varghese, age category 8-10

About Meridian Waste

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Meridian Waste is a company defined by its commitment to servicing its customers, caring for and engaging its employees, and generating financial value for its shareholders while delivering a clean and healthy community. The company’s core waste business is centered on residential, commercial, and industrial non-hazardous waste collection and disposal. Currently, the company operates in St. Louis, Mo., Richmond, Va., Blacksburg, Va., Augusta, Ga., Northeast Fla., Knoxville, Tenn., and Raleigh, N.C., servicing more than 94,532 residential, commercial, industrial and governmental customers. In addition to a fleet of commercial, residential, and roll-off trucks, the company operates five transfer stations, three recycling facilities, three municipal solid waste landfills and three C&D landfills in which 810,325 tons of waste are safely disposed annually. For more information, visit MeridianWaste.com.